Some background
I headed here in November last year (2024). It had been on my ‘go to’ list for a while and a concert moved it up. The trip was booked well in advance and once the important stuff like ticket and a place to lay my head were sorted, I forgot about it. Very little research was done. What struck me first was this city’s size!
A northern city, the capital of the autonomous community of Aragon. Also known as Saragossa in English, it lies by the Ebro river and its tributaries, the Huerva and the Gállego. Debatable as to whether it’s the fourth or fifth largest city in Spain.
Easy to get to by train from Malaga, moreover it’s now a direct route! No changes are definitely a plus.
City street views and Plaza de Santa Engracia at night.
The sights – things to see & do
Zaragoza most famous for, the Basílica Nuestra Señora del Pilar de Zaragoza, constantly named as one of Spain’s Top 10 Cathedrals, in addition to being one of the 12 Treasures of Spain. El Pilar – Catedrales de Zaragoza
The Natural Science Museum -University of Zaragoza Home – Museo de Ciencias Naturales de la Universidad de Zaragoza. It’s not big but sometimes that’s a good thing. Visits are free, displays interesting and informative. It’s housed in a great building and hosts temporary exhibitions. On my visit, they featured a history of Santiago Ramón y Cajal (1906) winner of the Premio Nobel de Medicina. Again, not huge, one room but really well put together.
The names in the link. It’s a Park but not to be missed! It’s huge, beautiful and I couldn’t suggest a more stunning place to take a walk! Parque Grande, José Antonio Labordeta. Equipamientos. Ayuntamiento de Zaragoza
Want to shop till you drop? Zaragoza can help with that. All the usual high street names but lots of quirky independents there too and some street markets to check out for artisan products, curiosities and collectors items.
This deserved a mention earlier!
CaixaForum is a series of museums, galleries and exhibition centres sponsored by Catalan bank and not-for-profit La Caixa, situated in different cities across Spain. But it goes mobile! They bring educational, cultural and art displays out into the community. Some are unique audio and visual learning experiences that need to be booked, all free, others are out in the street to view at your leisure.
Check out the photos from León and you’ll see a display on the street, to the side of the Cathedral. Look out for them when travelling. At the time of my visit to Zaragoza there were two photographic exhibitions available. I’ve also accessed events at home in Fuengirola and also Málaga, Seville, Córdoba and the aforementioned León. All have definitely been worth a visit!
Food & Drink
Plenty of choice to suit all tastes & budgets. Zaragoza has a great thing going on in El Tubo de Zaragoza – El corazón donde late la ciudad. It’s the neighborhood for food, drink and nightlife. The perfect place to go for tapa or to party!
I rarely do anything other than Spanish, why would you in a city/region known for it’s gastronomic delights? Not possible to give them all a mention so I’ll start with one that stood out for me Taberna El Triana, Calle Estebanes 7. It’s been around a while, circa 1950 and has a dining room and a Taberna, bar-for food. Great selection of traditional tapa and wine to enjoy in a busy (don’t be fooled by the photo, the empty seats filled within minutes) but relaxed atmosphere. Staff were friendly and welcoming, nothing a bother.
For a more modern, cafe type place, with a good selection of tapa and drinks try Cafetería Santiago . It’s easy to find, right opposite the Basílica.
Cafetería for breakfast (or Tapa I tried both): La Gata con Manchas it has a nice vibe.
The Concert
Concierto de Aranjuez – Homenaje a Paco de Lucía at the Auditorio de Zaragoza. Auditorio de Zaragoza More flamenco but every live performance is unlike any other. This performance was delivered in 3 parts.
Part 1 Orquesta Clásica Santa Cecilia (Santa Cecilia Classical Orchestra). Founded in 2001, an orchestra based in Madrid, belonging to the Excelentia Foundation. Featuring Alejandro Hurtado – guitarra.
Conducted by José Luis López-Antón who is rightly considered one of the most brilliant and charismatic promises of the new generation of conductors in Spain. This was something of a pleasant surprise for me as I had recently enjoyed a performance when he directed the Málaga Symphony Orchestra Inicio – Sinfónica de Málaga who delivered Music from the Movies at the Palacio de la Paz, Fuengirola, my home town. Sorry I digress.
Part 2. The orchestra leave to allow Alejandro Hurtado deliver yet another exceptional performance. Alejandro Hurtado with percussion dispensed by David Domínguez, amazing. David Domínguez This is an exceptional pairing.
Part 3. Last but not least Andrés Barrios – piano. Unknown to me, till now. Andrés is an avant-garde pianist who fuses contemporary music with the deep roots of flamenco. A young pianist from Utrera who explores different flamenco styles such as soleá, seguiriya and bulerías. He combines them with influences from various world music. The result, a modern and current vision of flamenco, that intertwines tradition with innovation, uniting past and present in a unique way. ANDRÉS BARRIOS – Pianista y compositor
hoping to take to the auditorium stage someday
A Place to Stay
I chose an apartment (Apartmenticos Plaza Sas I) on the edge of El Tubo. The interior was modern, might be a little too modern for some tastes, if your sharing. But it was very clean and everything you need for a short stay was provided.
But here’s the rub, for me anyway:
I’m respectful I leave things as I find them although, I understand that all folks aren’t like that. I was asked for a breakages deposit. I don’t have a problem with this. However, I would like to have been told about this at the point of booking, not messaged and asked for 100 euros the night before my trip! *See note *
Another irritation, I’ve never been asked to take my own rubbish out before but hey there’s a first time for everything and this was it! The location was great but bear in mind Saturday night doesn’t end until Sunday morning and I’m talking 6am! So if you’re a light sleeper and take to you’re bed any earlier, somewhere a little quieter or some earplugs might be a good choice. I’ve not said anything here that I haven’t included in my review for the booking platform. In my humble opinion, they are valid points to note.
Feedback & Sharing
It goes without saying, I hope this inspires and tempts you to explore this city. It has a lot to offer! Happy to receive comments or questions.
Get that bag packed, buy the tickets, have an adventure!
** I mention the breakage deposit and the timing of the request for it because like most, I do not have an unlimited budget. For me, experiences are more important than possessions. Importantly, I acknowledge 100 euros could make all the difference, ¿ do your get to go or not?
If anything you read here was helpful please share. Happy travelling, hasta luego!